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User blog:DemonaCarrolltucky/Winterizing Your Home
__TOC__ For those of you coming from a warmer climate, you may be particularly interested in this post. I am sorry to say, but it is going to get a lot colder. Soon, you will find out how cold it can really get here. I am no wuss when it comes to the cold, but I draw a line when I wake up in the morning and can see my breath! In most cases, Japan still uses single paned windows and they don’t really insolate their walls either, so it can get really cold indoors. So here are a few places to check in your home as well as ways to keep your home warmer. WINTERIZING If you properly prepare your place for winter, you can save quite a bit of money on utilities, not to mention feel a lot warmer. Some of the most common places for heat to leak out or for the cold to radiate in are the following; doors, windows, electrical sockets, kitchen vents, bathroom vents, mailboxes on the door, recessed lights in the ceiling, water pipe access shoots, and sometimes around the seams of your kitchen counter top and cupboards (if you live on an end apartment). weather stripping - spong roll (1).jpg|Weather Strip Roll - Sponge weather stripping - indoor.jpg|Weather Strip - Indoor weather stripping - spong roll (2).jpg|Weather Strip - Types weather stripping - example roll.jpg|Weather Strip - Package weather stripping - reduced sound.jpg|Weather Stip - Noise Canceling Type WEATHER STRIPS Weather strips are long sponge, foam, bristle, or rubber strips that attach to a door, window, or frame in order to prevent a draft. They are also called weather tape, weather seal, or weather stripping. There are various thicknesses and widths to accommodate most frames and cracks. They are sold in rolls and can be cut to any desired length. They can be bought at any 100 yen store or DIY center. draft stopper - set.jpg|Draft Stopper - Foam draft stopper - cute.jpg|Draft Stopper - Cute door sweep - brush roll set.jpg|Door Sweep - Plastic door sweep - brush set.jpg|Doorsweep - Brush DRAFT SNAKE A draft snake is a long piece of fabric, foam, or other material placed at the bottom of a door to prevent a draft from coming in from underneath a door. They are also called a door skirt, door seal, door sweep, or door draft stopper. There are various ways to stop a draft from a door: roll up a towel and place it against the base of the door, cut a pool noodle and slip it under the base of the door, use weather stripping, or buy a draft stopper and place it in front of the door. When using a towel or draft stopper, you will have to put them back into place every time you open the door, so getting something that attaches to the door itself is much easier to use. Most of these items can be bought at a 100 yen store or a DIY shop. bubble wrap - frame (2).jpg|Bubble Wrap bubble wrap - colored.jpg|Bubble Wrap - Colored bubble wrap - curtain.jpg|Bubble Wrap - Curtain bubble wrap - door knob (1).jpg|Bubble Wrap - Door bubble wrap - door knob (2).jpg|Bubble Wrap - Mailbox bubble wrap - frame (1).jpg|Bubble Wrap - Attached to Frame bubble wrap - glass (1).jpg|Bubble Wrap - Attached to Glass bubble wrap - dirty.jpg|Bubble Wrap - Dirty bubble wrap - deteriorated.jpg|Bubble Wrap - Damage BUBBLE WRAP / PACKING SHEETS Since most windows are single paned in Japan, using bubble wrap or packing foam sheets can keep your place a few degrees warmer, while still letting light in. Depending on how big your windows are and how well you seal everything up, you can get a 5 – 10 degree difference! You can attach sheets to the glass by using tape or double-sided tape. However, if you attach the sheets to the window frame and create an air pocket between the sheet and the glass, you are creating an additional layer of insulation. If you are attaching the sheets to a sliding door or window, you may have to either attach it directly to the glass or just not open that door or window while you have the sheet attached, since it may rub off. Measure your windows and sliding doors. If you look around, you can find sheets big enough to cover door frames and cut to size. Otherwise you will have a seam between two separate sheets, allowing the cold to come through more easily. In that case, you can use tape to seal it up. Bubble wrap and packing sheets can be purchase at 100 yen stores, DIY centers, the post office, and other locations with shipping materials. It will be everywhere once the temperature drops in Japan. Warning ' Sometimes the bubble wrap or sheets attached directly to the glass can deteriorate if left longer than a season. So removal and cleanup can become a hassle. The following link is in Japanese, but it will give you a pretty good idea of what happens when you leave your bubble wrap up for more than a season. http://green-high-net.seesaa.net/article/380249593.html Aluminum Insulating Sheet - rolls.jpg|Aluminium Sheets - Rolls Aluminum Insulating Sheet - carpet.jpg|Aluminium Sheets - Carpeting ALUMINUM INSULATING SHEETS Similar to bubble wrap or packing sheets, aluminum sheets can be attached to your windows using tape or double-sided tape. However, this will not let any light in, so this may be an option for on the lower half or maybe just a portion of your windows and terrace doors. Aluminum sheets can serve another purpose as well. They can be placed on the floor under a rug or under a futon to keep you warmer. These can be bought at a 100 yen store or at a DIY center. Insulating Panel - clear set.jpg|Insulating Panel - Clear Insulating Panel - set.jpg|Insulating Panel - Colored INSULATING PANEL An insulating panel is a board or panel that stops the cold air from coming in. It is a corrugated plastic board, much like cardboard, but generally see through or a hard foam sheet with a designed printed on it. These can be placed in front of windows, doors, or doorways. They are self-standing, but can be taped into place or pinned. You will usually find these at a DIY store. Carpet.jpg|Carpet CARPETS Stand-alone or combined with an aluminum sheet, carpets can insulate your apartment. A carpet feels a lot warmer than wood or laminated flooring and can trap some of the heat inside your room. Joint Matt - set.jpg|Joinst Matt - Edges Joint Matt - cork.jpg|Joinst Matt - Cork Joint Matt - different kinds.jpg|Joinst Matt - Types Joint Matt - table leg.jpg|Joint Matt - Damage JOINT MATTS If you don’t want a carpet, there are also carpet squares or joint matts that have interlocking edges that fit together like puzzle pieces. They are usually made of foam or cork and come in various sizes. Some types may have fabric attached to one side, but they are usually just a soft rubber. These will not only keep you warmer but they make the floor softer too. These can be found in the children’s section of a department store, at home centers, and even 100 yen shops. '''Warning ' The interlocking pieces are usually not the same size from different makers, so don’t change brands unless you have tested the fit first. Also, be careful if you have chairs or coffee tables, the legs will warp the matts. Although it’s not all that important, the last item to keep an eye out for is the edges, not all brands provide a flat edge. Curtains.jpg|Curtains THICK CURTAINS Curtains are not simply for blocking out the sun or decoration. They can also be used as insulation between you and the cold emanating from glass windows or doors. Blackout curtains tend to be of denser material and work fairly well. Sheet or lace curtains will have little to no effect. If it is a sunny day, open your curtains to allow the sunlight to warm your room, this may give you a few extra degrees during the day. Once the sun has gone down, close your curtains to keep the heat in. You should be able to buy decent curtains at a department store, but they may be pricey. Some of the cheapest places to buy curtains are Nitori, Don Quijote, Ikea, or online. '''TIP If you keep your curtains open during a sunny say, it will warm up the room. Once the sun goes down, close the curtains to keep the warmth in. curtain liner - hooks.jpg|Curtain Liner - Hooks Curtain liner - hanging.jpg|Curtain Liner - Hanging Curtain liner - package.jpg|Curtain Liner - Package bubble wrap - curtain.jpg|Curtain Liner - Bubble Wrap CURTAIN LINER Curtain liners are similar to packing foam sheets, but have additional attachments so that they are hung along with your curtains. Some curtain liners may just be a thick piece of plastic as well. These liners provide additional insolation to the curtains you currently have, so this may help significantly if you have thin curtains. The liner’s reinforced attachments prevent the regular curtains hooks from tearing through the foam, so you can still easily open and close the curtains without worry of damaging the liner. You should be able to purchase these online or at a DIY store. Doorway Curtain - Hanging.jpg|Doorway Curtain - Hanging Noren.png|Noren Partician - railing.jpg|Partician - Railing Partician - rod.jpg|Partician - Tension Rod DOOR / PARTICIAN CURTAINS Door curtains are placed in front of a door or in an open doorway to prevent heat from escaping from one room to another. Noren are Japanese door hangings that you sometimes see in front of restaurant doorways or in front of the entrance to the bath of a public bath. They are mostly used for decorative, commercial, or privacy purposes. Although they are not super effective they can still keep some heat from escaping to the next room. You can also hang normal curtains in a doorframe to patrician two rooms as well. Just make sure there is as little of a gap between the curtain and the doorframe as possible in order for the heat to not escape into the next room. To hang curtains in a doorframe, you can use a tension rod from a 100 yen shop or attach a curtain railing from a DIY store. WORDS TO KNOW *Aluminum Insulating Sheets アルミ断熱シート Arumi Dan'netsu Shīto *Brush Seal ブラシシール Burashi Shīru *Bubble Wrap プチプチ *Carpet カーペット Kāpetto *Cool Air Stop Panel 冷気ストップパネル Reiki Sutoppu Paneru *Curtain Rail カーテンレール Kāten Rēru *Curtain カーテン Kāten *Door Gap Guard ドア隙間ガード Doa Sukima Gādo *Door Hanging のれん Noren *Door Sealing Tape ドア下部シールテープ Doa Kabu Shīrutēpu *Draft Stopper すきま風ストッパー Sukimakaze Sutoppā *Draft すきま風　Sukima Kaze *Eyelet & Hook ハトメとフック Hatome To Fukku *Gap / Clearance 隙間 / すきま Sukima *Joint Matt ジョイントマット Jointo Matto *Lower Door Seal Tape ドア下部シールテープ Doa Kabu Shīrutēpu *Packing (Buffer) Sheet 緩衝シート Kanshō Shīto *Partition Curtain パーティションカーテン Pātishon Kāten *Shut Panel シャットパネル Shatto Paneru *Stove ストーブ Sutōbu *Tension Rod 突っ張り棒 / つっぱり棒 Tsuppari Bō *Waterproof Weather Strip 防水すきまテープ Bōsui Sukima Tēpu *Weather Strip (brush type) すきまテープ (起毛タイプ) Sukima Tēpu (Kimō Taipu) *Weather Strip すきまテープ Sukima Tēpu Category:Blog posts Category:Daily Life Category:JET Blogs